


Stargazers

by symsonic



Category: Baseball RPF
Genre: A who's who of soft NL East fellows, Gen, M/M, brief rhys/max
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-03
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-07-30 14:38:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20098825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/symsonic/pseuds/symsonic
Summary: Rhys: "The first annual All Night Softball for Smiles Charity Classic!"Nola: "Is it a 'classic' if it's brand new?"





	Stargazers

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [eovaldi (dangerdays)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dangerdays/pseuds/eovaldi) in the [boysofsummer19](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/boysofsummer19) collection. 

> **Prompt:**
> 
> rhys hoskins/aaron nola  
anything soft and cute. can even be super touchy feely platonic stuff.

The concept was wholesome enough. Get together the NL East’s biggest stars for a softball game at Citizen Bank Park on a November night. It was surprisingly warm for it being almost wintertime, but that made the game that much more exciting in the eyes of both the players and the fans.

The rules were as follows. There were eight teams, and they would square off in rounds of 6 inning games all through the night until a champion is crowned. The winning team’s captain gets to choose a charity or a cause that the game’s proceeds goes towards.

Each of the captains and their causes are as follows.

_**Bryce Harper - Harper’s Heroes** _\- Support and development for inner city youth  
_**Rhys Hoskins - MDA Philadelphia**_ \- Support and treatment for patients of muscular dystrophy  
_**Max Scherzer - Nationals Youth Academy**_ \- Fostering positive development, academic and achievement through baseball  
_**Sandy Alcantara - Miami-Dade Animals** _\- Encouraging the adoption of local animals and promoting animal rights and care.  
_**Freddie Freeman - Atlanta Braves Foundation**_ \- Assisting youth serving organizations across the city.  
**_Robinson Cano - Junior Mets_** \- Youth baseball academy and focuses on developing positive habits and fun experiences for kids.  
_**Ryan Zimmerman - ZimMS**_ \- Support and treatment for patients living with multiple sclerosis.

  
The tournament would start at 7pm and run until completion -- possibly 5-6am. The idea is for the teams to stay up as long as possible, with the use of coffee and breakfast foods to participate in the tournament. One idea was to set up a few hammocks in the clubhouse for power naps in between games. Regardless of how silly the idea seemed, the players were eager to try the concept out, possibly already feeling the knack to play baseball in some shape or form a month and a half out of the MLB season.

Time passed and the night finally arrived. The event was open to the public, just like any other game. The usual hot dog and other concession stands were replaced with stands selling various breakfast foods. For $10 you could get cereal of your choice in a giant souvenir Phillies cup. Beer was still being sold, but you could also by mimosas and sangrias, to complete the late night breakfast feel at Citizens Bank Park.

As for the players, actual breakfast buffets were being set up in the dugouts, where players could chow down on food during the games. Various foods like sausage, bacon, eggs, hash browns, french toast, cereal, waffles, muffins, and other foods were being served. In an interview leading up to the tournament, Phillies First Baseman Rhys Hoskins questioned if it was a good idea to have a bunch of heavy foods in the dugout with certain players who had little to no self control.

Just in case you were wondering, he was talking about his Phillies teammate, Bryce Harper.

The first game of the night was Sandy’s team vs Freddie’s. The defensive team has seven men on the field while the other team goes up to bat. The other teams crowd around the buffet and settle in for what’s going to be a really interesting night.

Two innings in and Aaron Nola is on his second cup of coffee, heavy cream and sugar. He sways from side to side, Rhys is next to him, eating a plate of scrambled eggs with some shredded cheese on top. Nola holds his cup with both hands and sips ever so slightly from the styrofoam cup, like a child enjoying a cup of hot chocolate. Rhys notices Aaron’s kid-like habits and gives him a slight pat on the back.

**_“Ready for your start, ace?”_ **He smiles warmly.

Nola nods as he takes another sip. **_“Yep. Provided I don’t have to run off the mound four pitches in to pee.”_** He chuckles.

Much of the dugout were busy eating and watching the game, chatting about random subjects. Much of the same went for the teams on the field. Ronald Acuña Jr brought his cup of black coffee out to the field with him. It seemed like a good idea until he was forced to make a defensive play and he knocks the thing over.

**_“¿Qué es lo que esperaba?”_** He mutters to himself as he picks up the now empty cup and returns to the dugout.

In the opposing dugout, Max Scherzer eats a yogurt parfait as he leans in the far end, talking to Trea Turner about possibly having the worst sugar and carb induced hangover they’re all going to have the next morning. Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom walks past the Marlins team with a plate stacked with sausage, bacon, eggs, hash browns and pancakes. Not a moment after he walks by, Brian Anderson lowers his head and turns to Sandy, who was about to go back onto the field.

** _“Where is all that food going to?”_ **

Sandy just shrugged.

_ **“We get hungry, man.”** _

\---

The first game concludes. Sandy’s team defeat Freddie’s 4-2. The losing team however, stays in the dugout to eat and chat with the others. Freddie hovers around the buffet for the rest of the night, grabbing various rolls and danishes. After a 15 minute break, the second matchup of the night starts - Rhys’ vs Bryce. Nola, who was pitching for Rhys’ team, delayed the start of the game by a few minutes because he wanted to use the restroom one last time before going out on the mound. He eventually runs onto the field, while the rest of his teammates laugh wholeheartedly.

The game flew by with plenty of 1-2-3 innings peppered in and out. During the later innings, Rhys decides to sit out on the field right next to his first base, legs crossed and watching Aaron pitch. An unexpected base hit by Bryce Harper caught him off guard however as the outfielder runs towards him with a giant smile on his face. Rhys stumbles to get up, briefly forgetting that he was playing a baseball game, regardless of its actual importance.

**_“Nice seat you got.”_** Bryce laughs, tapping his right foot on the first base with his hands on his shoulders.

**_“I know, I know.”_** Rhys grabs a hold of Bryce’s arm to help him get up. Bryce falls over to the left briefly before regaining his balance. Both men stand on base together as they watch the game while standing.

**_“I need to find out who baked those cinnamon rolls.”_** Bryce quips as he watches Realmuto’s at-bat. **_“They had the perfect amount of cinnamon and icing. I had one too many, and I’m debating if I should go back for more.”_**

**_“I’m on my third glass of cold brew.”_ **Rhys replies.**_ “It’s so smooth.”_**

** _“How aren’t you peeing yourself right now?”_ **

** _“It’s getting there.”_ **

With JT striking out, both men return to the dugout, Bryce going to grab another cinnamon roll and Rhys to relieve himself.

\---

Rhys’ team defeats Bryce’s by an oh-so exciting score of 1-0. Corbin slipped up on a wild pitch, allowing Kingery to run home. Back in the dugout, Nola goes to the buffet, places a few strips of bacon on his plate, and heads back to sit next to Rhys.

**_“I forgot how much I love bacon.”_ **Aaron muses as he chomps on several strips at a time, playing with the meat’s chewy texture in his mouth.

Rhys, however, was distracted watching the next game. **_“It’s a charity game and Max is out there stalking the mound.”_** Aaron looks up and sure enough, there was Scherzer pacing back and forth after a strikeout.

** _“Even in sparkly baby blues he looks scary.”_ **

Rhys leans back on the bench, looking back and forth between the buffet and the game. **_“Are there any rolls left? Bryce kept talking about them on base earlier.”_**

** _“Yeah, a few. I think they’re making more in the back?”_ **

Rhys’ eyes widen. **_“More?”_**

Aaron doesn’t take his eyes off the game as he finishes up his plate of bacon. **_“That’s what they’re saying over there.”_ **Rhys decides to stay put, figuring a fresh roll out of the oven would be a thousand times better than a probably stale one.

\---

It was nearing around 4AM. The buffet was still being replenished, but players stopped making as frequent trips as the night went on. An hour ago, Bryce told Ryan Zimmerman he was going to go for a power nap in one of the hammocks inside. Naps were limited to 30 minutes, so Jacob deGrom, the self appointed "nap enforcer", decided to roam around looking for him.

**_"If we're all out here manning it out, then he has to as well."_** Jacob can be heard muttering as he leaves the dugout to look for Bryce.

Nola stares at the crowd, which was beginning to thin out slightly. **_"Maybe this should have been a two-nighter?"_ **The comment hovered in the air for a moment before he realized the person who it was meant for was fast asleep, on his shoulder.

He looks to the side and sees Rhys snoozing away like a giant child. Nola couldn't help but let out a small laugh as he returned his attention to the game. He leans his head on top of Rhys' letting go of any need to stay awake. Within moments he was asleep along with his friend.

\--

**_“Ow! Ow! OW! OW!”_** Bryce could be heard yelping as Jacob dragged him by the hand back into the dugout, like an annoyed parent having to lead their troublemaking child everywhere. **_“It was an accident! I was tired!”_**

The two sit on the far end of the dugout bench, Bryce looking down at the floor and slightly dangles his legs, knowing he’s guilty.

A few moments later, Max delivers the game ending strikeout, and we were onto the final game.

\---

It was now 5AM, and Aaron and Rhys still had a game to play. Freddie, who was on his fifth danish, ruffles Nola’s hair.

_ **“Hey! New Orleans. You’re up!”** _

Aaron groaned as comes back to life. The temperature seemed to have dropped as he’s met with a prickly cold as he regains his surrounding. His sudden motions seemed to have been enough to wake up Rhys as well because he darts up and looks around.

**_“Wha-what?”_** Rhys asks? Slightly unaware of what’s going on.

**_“Last game.”_** Freddie replies as he wolfs down the remaining pastry. He knew that he was going to regret anything more than one cherry and cheese danish, but he was willing to weather that storm when he got to it. Rhys gets up and takes a short stretch, twisting his torso and extending his arms. Aaron next to him was still seated, blankly staring at the field.

**_“Yo, ace.”_** Rhys asks. **_“You ready?”_**

** _“Would you yell at me if I said no?”_ **

He laughs. **_“We got a little bit, so grab some coffee.”_** And Aaron does just that, not before doing a bit of stretching of his own. The aroma of the Columbian coffee was enough to wake him up, let alone actually drink it. He pours half a cup and tops it off with some vanilla flavored creamer. After stirring it for a brief moment he attempts to chug it down, but jumps when he’s taken aback as to how hot it still was!

Letting out a defeated sigh, he decides to take slow sips as he slowly makes his way to the dugout entrance.

Rhys walks out to the field only to see Max lying on the mound back on the ground, seemingly staring at the sky.

**_“You okay?”_** He asks as he approaches Max.

** _“Yeah, I just don’t feel like getting up.”_ **

** _“Stargazing?”_ **

**_“I guess. The sky’s surprisingly clear considering we’re in a city.”_**  
Rhys looks upwards. His eyes lock with the northern star, the brightest of them all. But from there, he’s able to trace other, more dimly lit stars. It was the first time in awhile he was able to see something beyond the northern star. He takes a cross legged seat next to Max, still continuing to observe the sky.

**“I miss stargazing when I was a kid. Something about looking at the stars from a telescope ... “** Max thought out loud. **_“ … even with your naked eye. It’s just calming to the mind I guess. It grounds you, amidst all of the chaos.”_**

The players were beginning to take the field for the last game. But that didn’t seem to phase either of them.

**_“It kinda humbles you. Makes you realize that you’re lucky to be here.”_** Rhys replies. Max let out a small mhm, in response.

Scherzer’s eyes flickered back to the field as he sees Howie Kendrick waving and laughing at him. **_“Speaking of.”_ **He lifts himself back into seated position. “We still have a baseball game to play.”

Rhys gets back up to standing as sees Aaron approaching the mound, carrying his glove.

**_“Hey fella!”_** Nola is sporting a much more caffeinated smile than earlier.**_ “I’m ready to start when you are.”_**

Max lets out a deep seated yawn. **_“Alright. I’m grabbing a cup in the dugout. Try not to make this a 1-2-3 inning. I’m old and tired, remember?”_** All three players laugh as Max retreats into the opposing player’s dugout. Rhys gives Aaron a hug and places his hand on the other’s shoulders.

**_“Knock ‘em dead Ace.”_** He smiles. His rosy cheeks even more red than before. And with that, he turns and jots over to first base. As Aaron throws the first pitch, a strike, Rhys looked back up at the sky. Finding the northern star once more, he was beginning to be able to trace a small cluster of stars that wo--

The crack of a baseball bat snapped him back to earth.


End file.
